Cockpit Deptford has occupied a 1960s council building next to the water at Creekside in south London since 2002, but a £3.24 million refurbishment by Cooke Fawcett Architects has given it a new lease of life. Demand for studio space is higher ever, according to Jonathan Burton, CEO of London’s Cockpit Studios. For nearly 40 years, Cockpit Studios has housed craftspeople from more than 20 disciplines in subsidised studio spaces in Bloomsbury and Deptford, so it’s good news that the new headquarters has just opened in the latter.
The organisation and its new base now house 60 studios instead of 40, a new café, woodworking and leather working hubs and a craft garden created by British designer Sebastian Cox.
Cockpit Deptford: step inside the new headquarters
A revamped leather-working hub, an education space and a new exterior mural complete the picture. Created by Cockpit resident artist Amber Khokhar, the mural depicts the colourful, multicultural history of Deptford: a safety-pin tile is an homage to Sid Vicious, who lived here; a record reminds us that Northern Soul was given its name in SE8. Bobbins, knives, pencils and rope – all tools of the trade – lie within.
The new craft garden features plants that are used in the making process – willow in basketry, flax and madder in natural dyes. Rubble beds are made from the waste from the refurb and Cox’s first outdoor tables and chairs are a good spot to sit and have a coffee from the new Spring Café.
The privilege of being a Cockpit resident is 24-hour access to the site and ample outdoor yard space in which to make noise, create dust and receive deliveries. The whole space invites greater public interaction, crucial given all the makers rely on selling their work. ‘Creating an open, dynamic space which the public could see into but not necessarily enter was one of the main challenges,’ says Francis Fawcett.
Cockpit Deptford is unveiled just in time for its Open Studios. Taking place over two weekends in June, visitors can go behind the scenes in Deptford and at Cockpit’s sister site in Bloomsbury and buy directly from more than 175 makers, among them wood sculptor Eleanor Lakelin, whose solo exhibition opens at Sarah Myerscough Gallery this month.
-
The all-electric Mini Aceman desperately wants you to have a good time behind the wheelWhat ingredients make up Mini’s secret sauce, and can an electrified version retain the flavour? We sample the Aceman EV to find out
-
The best beauty products of the month, from Prada mascara to Westman Atelier’s bronzing dropsThe best beauty products of the month, selected by Wallpaper*, include a new Prada mascara, Westman Atelier’s bronzing drops and more
-
‘Ranger’: documenting ‘the first female conservation ranger programme in East Africa’‘Ranger’, a new film set in Kenya’s Maasai homeland, tells the story of 12 women who became East Africa’s first all-female anti-poaching unit
-
The little-known story of Welsh modernism'Cabin Crew', a new book published this spring by The Modernist, brings the spotlight to Cardiff-based practice Hird & Brooks
-
This modern Cotswolds home draws on its ancient woodland contextThis contemporary Cotswolds home, designed by NCA Architecture with interiors by Echlin, is a slice of the Mediterranean in the English countryside
-
A Danish twist, compact architecture, and engineering magic: the Don’t Move, Improve 2025 winners are hereDon’t Move, Improve 2025 announces its winners, revealing the residential projects that are rethinking London living
-
This Hampstead house renovation in London transcends styles and periodsThe renovation of a Hampstead house in London by Belgian architect Hans Verstuyft bridges the classic and the contemporary
-
London’s Sloane Street has been transformed into a ‘green boulevard’Iconic shopping destination Sloane Street has had a facelift, now boasting wider pavements, enhanced seating and lighting, and a massive planting scheme
-
New book takes you inside Frinton Park Estate: the Essex modernist housing scheme‘Frinton Park Estate’, a new book by photographer James Weston, delves into the history of a modernist housing scheme in Essex, England
-
Conran Building's refresh brings a beloved London landmark into the 21st centuryConran Building at 22 Shad Thames has been given a new lease of life by Squire & Partners, which has rethought the London classic, originally designed by Hopkins, for the 21st century
-
Inside Powerhouse: The redevelopment of Lots Road Power Station, which once fuelled the London UndergroundThe twin-turreted building has followed in the footsteps of Battersea Power Station, being transformed into luxury homes and retail units
